Andy Murray has potential to become ‘greatest coach of all time’ and could help Casper Ruud, says Mats Wilander
ByOli Gent
Published 10/11/2024 at 10:50 GMT
Eurosport expert Mats Wilander has said that Andy Murray could become one of the greatest tennis coaches of all time, and has suggested that the Briton assist Casper Ruud in an attempt to guide the Norwegian to his first Grand Slam. Wilander compared the trajectories of the two players, and hinted that Ruud, a three-time major finalist, should follow Murray's path and hire a top-quality coach.
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Eurosport expert Mats Wilander has claimed Andy Murray could become one of the greatest tennis coaches of all time, should the Scot decide to remain in the sport following retirement.
Murray retired from the game after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he competed in the doubles draw with Dan Evans for Team GB.
The British pair bowed out to Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul at Roland-Garros in the quarter-finals, beaten in straight sets.
Eurosport pundit Wilander has drawn comparisons between Murray and Norwegian Casper Ruud, who has reached three Grand Slam finals - two at the French Open and one at the US Open - but failed to clear the final hurdle each time.
Wilander, himself a seven-time Grand Slam champion, believes that Ruud has what it takes to win a major, and could take inspiration from Murray en route to doing so.
“Casper Ruud is at the time in his career where you watch him play and you don’t know if he still believes that he's one of the best two, three players in the world, because you would have to say when he made those three Grand Slam finals, that we put him up there,” Wilander said.
“It wasn't like he had no chance in winning either of the three. He actually did have a chance to beat Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open. He played Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal at the French Open in two finals, and you wouldn't say that he, on paper, had a chance, but I thought he did.
“I think Casper is at the point in his career where you have to look at what Andy Murray did by hiring Ivan Lendl. Andy lost four Grand Slam finals, so did Ivan Lendl before they won their first one. Then, of course, it turns out that Murray won two Olympic golds, and he won three Grand Slams.
“Ivan Lendl won eight of them. So it's just a matter of winning the first. How do you win your first one? Obviously, Christian, his dad, is an unbelievable coach, and he's taken Casper from his childhood years to be one of the best players in the world.
“That is already a big surprise when you look at the way Casper plays, and you think he's got a weakness on the back end. But at this point, is it time for Casper to hire someone who has won Grand Slam tournaments in the past, who can say that golden phrase that is, ‘Casper did you ever think about this when you played big matches?’ ‘Oh, no, I haven't.’ ‘Oh, look, it changed your career because you have to believe that's what Lendl did with Murray.’
“Murray had the big three to deal with, and he still won three Grand Slam titles. Stan Wawrinka had the big four to deal with, and he still won three Grand Slam titles because he hired Magnus Norman because of Ivan Lendl. Is it a suggestion? No. But it's a possibility that this might be the next good move for Ruud. I hope he can win a Grand Slam one day, and I think he needs to improve his backhand to do that.”
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Wilander added that if Ruud can tidy up his “liability” backhand, he can be a force to be reckoned with at major tournaments.
“I think a lot of guys that are former players or that have just played on tour. We know that Casper Ruud can win a slam,” Wilander said.
“We know that the backhand is a little bit of a liability. How do you get out of that situation? How do you play a game where your weakness is not as exposed as it sometimes is if you're not playing the right way? Is he playing the wrong way? I'm not saying that, but I do think that there needs to be something that needs to happen in this game tactically.
“Physically, it's very difficult to change things, but tactically, maybe serve and volley, maybe come into the net, maybe allow yourself to lose to players that are lower ranked than you, but you have to have another level to go to if you're going to win Grand Slam titles.”
The Swede also suggested that Andy Murray could be more than just a role model for the Norwegian, hinting that the Scot could become Ruud's coach.
“I just threw out a name there that I think would be more suited for this than any other player, which is Andy Murray. Sir Andy Murray, would you do us a favour, please, and not walk away from professional tennis when you're not playing anymore?
“Andy, as a coach, might become the greatest coach of all time because he knows the game. He's into stats. He physically works harder than anyone I've ever seen. He's overcome these obstacles of not winning Grand Slams in his first couple of four or five Grand Slam final appearances. So yes, my call goes to Andy.”
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